Wednesday, July 22, 2009

You know what I like? Men!






Besides men, I love menswear. It's fun to be a guy these days and have so many cool clothes to choose from. The old rules of what goes with what and the mix of serious and fun make getting dressed an event, again. One collection I've fallen hard for goes by the name of Duckie Brown.
It's relatively new and is designed and owned by 2 very cool guys: Daniel Silver and Steven Cox.
This collection has all the elements a complete wardrobe requires. From an incredibly smart trench in what appears to be black patent, rich , elegant and generous scarves with embroidery are absolutely ubiquitous.An elegantly cut tweed jacket over fluid trousers with a fabulously generous scarf was beyond classic cool, it was worth foregoing the rent payment. One pair of ORANGE pants under an embroidered and quilted parka was the last word in sport luxe. The overall pallette is dark: browns, greys, blacks and that unexpected blast of orange gives the collection muscle.
Muscle is an important metaphor for what David and Steven infuse in their work. I like men....not tweens or boys, and I certainly don't want to dress like a kid. The alchemy in this collection are elements that might be viewed as super cool and super young but are achieved in a measured , mature way. Perhaps it's the quality of the workmanship and the richness of the fabrics which make these clothes appropriate for grown ups like me as well as the hipster who lives upstairs.
When I viewed the Fall 09 collection I saw at least 20 looks that I wanted to possess. Not 20 I liked , but 20 I wanted to wear.Not inconsiderable when there were 24 exits to the show.... That's unusual for me. Not that I'm so hard to dress or please, but that they are so on target with the times and with an aesthetic that is both of the moment and timeless. Duckie Brown is sold at Barneys on the 3rd floor, ALL 8 Scoop stores around the country, Odin and Kessner,Revolve in Los Angeles, 3 stores in Tokyo,1 in Moscow and Vakko in Istanbul. These guys get around.....
There is a spirit to to the collection that is very positive, inclusive and firmly rooted in the world we live in.Inclusive in the sense that you don't have to be an urban warrior to appreciate their work. One would look just as right in Omaha as in London , Milan,Tokyo, Istanbul or NYC. Check out their website and go to the stores that carry them. And shop!
We all need something to treasure and the rainbows' end is at Duckie Brown.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You got me started on finding a pair of orange flannels for my husband when you talked about them last fall, Fluff, and I failed at the job. I like the idea of pairing them with a brown Harris tweed and dark Etro scarf already in the closet. Brown and orange are predictable though, so I love the grey and black in the embroidered coat--very chic. Anyhow, thanks for the notice of Duckie Brown; I'm ready to be excited about fall fashion!

Anonymous said...

BRAVO!!!..is all I have to say to this amazing take on those two amazing designer!

Thank you Eric!

Alicia's Blog said...

I just discovered your blog today through an NYTimes article and I think it is brilliant. While viewing the Duckie Brown collection I was mildly reminded of DSquared's Fall 2008 Collection. The splashes of orange and the tailoring are what connected the threads between the two collections for me.However, I think the Duckie Brown looks are more mature, whereas DSquared seems to be aimed towards more of a college rocker audience.

I have added your blog to my favorites and plan to follow it quite closely. I can tell, just by the few threads I've read today, that you have a very keen eye for real fashion and I hope to learn how to scrutinize garments and collections in the way that you have so that I can distinguish the quality from the fluff.

Finally, not that I'm suited to give career advice, but if you're not going to be designing those amazing dresses anymore, you should think about a career in writing. You have an amazingly clever knack with words, it's engaging to read your thoughts on the state of fashion. Im definitely hooked! Keep it coming!!

StyleSpy said...

Kill me with that black patent trench and I will die a happy woman. Yum.